When the time finally came for Noach, his family and the animals to leave the ark after the flood, Hashem commanded Noach to leave the ark, and then added היצא אתך – to bring out all the others.
Rashi explains:
אם אינם רוצים לצאת, הוציאם אתה.
“If they do not want to leave, then you bring them out.”
If there would be any person or creature that refused to leave, Noach was to force that person or creature out of the ark.
Why would anybody refuse to leave? They had been trapped in the ark for an entire year. Wouldn’t we assume that everybody would be eager and excited to finally have the opportunity to leave? Could we imagine anybody wanting to stay on the ark a second longer than necessary?
The commentaries explain that yes, sometimes, people prefer staying in the “ark,” in a safe “bubble,” and need to be cajoled or forced to leave.
An example of this is the period of the year that we find ourselves in right now.
During the holidays, we are, to some extent, in an “ark,” in a bubble. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of special things going on. When it’s all over, we have to leave the “ark” and go back to the real world. And this process is not always easy.
The Torah tells us that right after Noach left the ark, ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם – he began farming, and he planted a vineyard and produced wine. The Rabbis explain that the word ויחל indicates that Noach “profaned” (חולין) himself by making wine his first activity after leaving the ark. Although there is nothing wrong with producing or moderately consuming wine, it was wrong for Noach to make this his first order of business.
The reason is that now that Noach came out of the ark ready to start normal life again, he should not be planning his next party.
Life is not about the “wine,” the distractions, the vacations, the special events. It’s about the day-to-day routine. It is then when we accomplish and achieve. Now, in the weeks after the holidays, is our opportunity to put into practice all the commitments we made during the period of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is here, outside the “ark,” where it all happens. But if we allow ourselves to get distracted by the “wine,” by all the other things going on, we won’t be able to achieve.
There’s a pasuk which we say several times each day in the Shema: והיו הדברים האלה אשר אנכי מצוך היום על לבבך – “These things which I command you today shall be upon your heart.” The key word here is היום – “today.” We have to see today as our time to achieve.
Every day, we can find another excuse not to accomplish. I know this very well as a Rabbi. Every day people give me excuses why they cannot attend the classes. It’s either a trip, a wedding, a late meeting, a dinner with a spouse, or something else. We have to realize that the time to get it done is today, now.
The period between Sukkot and Pesach, after we’ve finally left the “ark,” is such a precious opportunity for achievement. But in order to take advantage of this opportunity, we need to recognize the value of היום, of each and every day, to stop making excuses, and to make today – whatever day it is – a day of growth and achievement.